The Internet is being evolved from a human-centered connection network through which a human being generates and consumes information to the Internet of Things (IoT) network having information between distributed components like things transmitted and received therethrough and processing the information. The Internet of Everything (IoE) technology in which the big data processing technology, etc. is combined with the IoT technology by connection with a cloud server, etc. has also emerged. To implement the IoT, technology elements, such as a sensing technology, wired and wireless communication and network infrastructure, a service interface technology, and a security technology, have been required. Recently, technologies such as a sensor network, machine to machine (M2M), and machine type communication (MTC) for connecting between things have been researched.
In the IoT environment, an intelligent Internet technology (IT) service that creates a new value in human life by collecting and analyzing data generated in the connected things may be provided. The IoT may apply for fields, such as a smart home, a smart building, a smart city, a smart car or a connected car, a smart grid, health care, smart appliances, and an advanced healthcare service, by fusing and combining the existing information technology (IT) with various industries.
Currently, the most actively used service in the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is a beacon service. The beacon service refers to a service that periodically/continuously transmits arbitrary information through a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology and allows a device and a third device receiving the information to interwork with each other to thereby provide the information to a user or allow the user to perform a meaningful operation.
As one of services using a beacon, a small BLE device called a beacon continuously transmits the same ID through the BLE. The ID which the beacon transmits and a location where the beacon is installed are registered in a server for providing a service. When a user terminal having a BLE function (for example, a smart phone) receives the ID, it queries a location where a beacon transmitting a corresponding ID is installed to the server, confirms the location, and then performs an operation promised to be executed at the corresponding location. For example, if the location confirmed by querying the server is a department store, a department store application can be automatically executed and a discount coupon can be provided to a user. This means that a connection between the terminal and the service server is always required in a way that the user terminal is provided with the service by interworking with the server which is the third device.